Jesus and Women (Part 2 of 2; Part 9 of 12 in the Deeper Truths serial

   Deeper Truths: A study with lessons from Kenneth Bailey’s book,

 Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes

 

A 12-week study: Given on 7 May 2026

Lesson 9: Jesus and Women (Part 2 of 2)

Given on Zoom

Led by Bob Mendelsohn

 

Preliminaries

 Shalom to each of you on this Zoom call and to those who will watch this session on YouTube later. Tonight we continue our discussion of the topics that Kenneth Bailey introduced in Part 5 of his Six-part book. This week we look in on Jesus and Women.

To watch this on video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0ypuNPS9Y 

To remind ourselves of the context of this part, the book is made up of six parts, in order: (1) the birth of Jesus, (2) the Beatitudes, (3) the Lord’s Prayer, (4) the dramatic actions of Jesus, (5) Jesus and women, and (6) the parables of Jesus. Here is the video playlist of all previous 8 episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCYwmcnbi7TD0urk3QbUYeDSc9Dy0LIKv

Tonight, I plan to close out the section that Bailey gave us about women, although he didn’t consign himself to speak about women only in this section of his book. He has highlighted the ‘others’ throughout this book, including Gentiles as well as Jews, women as well as men, outcasts as well as insiders, etc.  But tonight we will dig deeper into the stories of the Syrophoenician woman and the sinner in the house of Simon the Pharisee, as well as two parables about women, or at least that use women as the models, which also will lead us next week into the great teachings of the parables. Lots to cover, so let’s pray. 

Prayer

Prelude

Many women are named in the Newer Testament. But that’s not new. The Older Testament is laced with stories involving women.

The Tanach contains over 300 named women, unnamed figures, and groups, spanning matriarchs, prophets, and queens who shaped Israel's history. Prominent figures include Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, and Abigail, alongside crucial unnamed women like Pharaoh’s daughter and the Witch of Endor. Add in there the daughters of Zelophehad and widows and unmarried daughters and the list extends. I say that so that you will know that women are never regarded as less, never reluctantly involved, but always in God’s continued concern. 

We spoke last time about the Jewish theologian Ben Sirach (2nd century BCE, was a Hellenistic Jewish scribe, sage, and teacher from Jerusalem who authored the Wisdom of Ben Sira (also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus). He is renowned for compiling wisdom poetry and ethical teachings, encouraging fidelity to Jewish Law while living under Hellenistic influence) and his horrible views about women and how Jesus stands in stark contrast to him.

Over in the Newer Testament, there are women like Phoebe (the deacon Paul praises in Romans 16:1), Junia (Paul names her as an outstanding apostle in Romans 16:7), Priscilla (a teacher and missionary who instructed Apollos in Acts 18:26), Lydia (a key house church leader in Acts 16:14-15), and Joanna (a disciple who supported Jesus' ministry in Luke 8:3).

Even so, in all the 2,000 years of Christian history, the spotlight has stayed almost entirely on men. This leaves most of us unaware that women, many of significant community stature, were there from the start named right alongside the men. 

This may have happened for a few reasons:

1)              Scripture is androcentric. It is written from a male perspective. The fact that women break through and surface with their names in the stories shows just how vital they were.

2)              For many Christians, their only exposure to Scripture is at Sunday service. Because only an exclusive set of men determine lectionary readings, proclaim them, and interpret their meaning, most of the stories of women have largely been sidelined.

3)              We don’t even know they are there. When we do hear about them, they are often unnamed. And their portrayals have often been twisted to paint them as sinful, for instance the Samaritan Woman at the Well or Mary Magdalene. Or in our stories tonight. With that, let’s dig in.

 

Syrophoenician Woman (Matt. 15.21-28)

Matthew 15 is the text which includes a startling episode featuring a woman and Jesus. She’s unnamed as is often the biblical case. And the scene is relatively short. Only 8 verses. Let’s look at verse 10 and following. The 8 verses begin in verse 21.

Verse 10: Jesus teaches that it’s not what goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him. But what comes out of his mouth. Verse 12: The disciples report that some Pharisees were really upset (Greek word: scandalized) at that statement. Verse 13: Yeshua said, every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (.13-14). 

Now that sounds like a parable or metaphor to me. But when Peter speaking for the 12 asks of Messiah to “explain the parable to us.” (:15), Jesus doesn’t talk about blindness and pits. He returns to the in/out nature of foods! I’m very surprised by this.

Yeshua says that it’s what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person. And “from the heart” comes a veritable stream of wickedness. Matthew provides only a representative list of seven items (cf Mark’s thirteen), with one item, ψευδομαρτυρίαι, “lies,” not from Mark’s list, probably thought by Matthew to be particularly appropriate to things from the heart uttered by the mouth. Then he ends with “to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile a man.” (.20) That’s how the chapter began as the Pharisees and scribes got all upset and sought to correct even to admonish Yeshua about this matter. 

From Word Biblical Commentary NT: Matthew “Above all others the Pharisees were respected and admired for their serious pursuit of righteousness (cf 23:2–3). Perhaps this is exactly why Jesus criticized them so harshly. The source of their perspective was not God; they were themselves but blind guides of blind disciples. As had been pointed out in the preceding passage, they sadly allowed human teachings to cancel out the very commandments of God. They so valued the items of minor significance and a ritualistic formalism that they neglected emphasizing what truly makes a person unclean (cf 23:23). The passage thus stands as a warning to all those who concern themselves with the intensive pursuit of righteousness and who in so doing elevate human tradition and formalism to a level equal with or even higher than scripture itself. The true problem of sin is not to be found in a failure to perform correctly some external minutiae of human making; sin is an interior matter that concerns the evil thought, words, and deeds that come from the heart. Moral righteousness is thus far more important than ritual purity. The fundamental problem of humanity is more basic than the Pharisees dreamed. The Pharisees simply failed to address sin as a radical human problem. The overcoming of sin, however, was essential to the purpose and work of Jesus.” 

Against that backdrop, then Matthew records the next story, that of the Syrophoenician woman. Remember, the Gospel writers composed their biographies intentionally, omitting or including, pacing and deeply configuring as Bailey highlights for us. So, when I pondered the last scene and the introduction of this female, Matthew sees the linkage. Jesus teaches, acts, teaches, acts, and in each case his teaching is either highlighting what just took place or what will immediately ensue.

There seems to be a lesson involved here, far beyond you and me. I see what Bailey explains. We tend to read the Bible for ourselves, individualistically rather than communally. I’ve been highlighting this throughout this Deeper Truth series. He is “our Father” and “Lead us, deliver us…” We pray in community. We eat in community. We fast communally. We love one another and when we dismiss another, our strength is diminished.

Dietrich Bonhoffer wrote the book Life Together and when I read that in the early 1970s it was life changing. We were living in Christian community in Kansas, and this was so significant. Another book written much more to the point of our Jesus Movement house lives was by Dave and Neta Jackson entitled Living Together in a world falling apart. Both speak to the community nature of the Kingdom. 

That, my friends, is something Bailey highlights in this chapter as well. He uses the idea of education and training of the disciples in relating the story of the Syrophoenician woman. Somehow, Bailey thinks that the way that Jesus spoke or didn’t speak to her was a training exercise for the disciples. I don’t see it that way, but I appreciate the difficulty that he’s trying to solve. 

The question is Why did Jesus treat her in this way? I believe he was testing her faith. After all she’s a three-fold outcast: a woman, a Gentile, and a foreigner. Matthew calls her a Canaanite. Jesus called the Syrophoenician woman a dog to test her faith, to illustrate the priority of his mission to Israel, and challenge the prevailing Jewish prejudices against Gentiles.  By using a term for a household pet (more like ‘doggy’ than ‘wild dog’) rather than a wild animal, Jesus created a dialogue that allowed her to demonstrate great humility and persistence, ultimately commending her faith and granting her request. 

The initial, harsh-sounding remark served as a test of the woman’s faith and persistence, which she passed by responding with humility and wit. Jesus stated he was sent first to the "lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). The comparison (not giving the children's bread to dogs) highlighted this sequence, rather than a permanent exclusion of Gentiles.

The woman’s clever response—that even the household pets eat the crumbs from their master’s table—showed her understanding that the blessings of Israel were overflowing to the Gentiles, which Jesus praised. This story (found in Matthew 15:21–28 and Mark 7:24–30) highlights Jesus breaking down cultural barriers and showing that God's grace is available to everyone, regardless of background.

Mark’s citation of this same scene adds an editorial phrase, “by which He declared all food clean.” (v. 19) That has caused great controversy throughout the world for generations, and especially in my generation. “Is it ok for us to eat pork and shellfish?” is a major question among messianic Jews to this day. I will leave that for others to argue.

It’s clear that the extension of grace to Gentiles, if you bring in a Gentile, not only is she welcomed, but so is her food supply. Is it welcomed for me? That’s another story and something about which I’m not speaking tonight. What remains clear is that if you bring in a Gentile, you bring in a Gentile’s food.

You see the same thing in Acts chapter 10 with Peter and Cornelius. Peter sees a vision filled with four-footed creatures and non-kosher items. The voice tells Peter to “rise up, kill and eat.” (.13) Peter replies, “No, Lord, I’m Jewish. I don’t eat such things.” (.14). The voice [of the Lord] replies to Peter, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” (.15)

Many people read this passage and wrongly think that Peter is now invited to go eat a ham and cheese sandwich there in Joppa. But we learn that the next day, Peter clarifies what was involved in that vision. He tells the Gentiles Cornelius had gathered there in Caesarea, “you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.” (.28)

The vision was not about Peter’s lunch, but it was about the food of Gentiles, and the Gentiles of that food. THEY were no longer considered unclean. They were welcomed into the community of faith. With their language, their culture, their foods. That’s the story of the Syrophoenician woman.

 

The woman at the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7.36-50)

This title of the section is striking on so many levels. The word ‘Pharisee’ means ‘a withdrawn one’, that is, someone who is separating himself from the tangible corruption of the world and the worldly systems. A ‘sinful woman’ as she is labelled here would have been unwelcome in such a person’s home. People were much more public in their homes in those days; think, ‘small town’ and as such more observable. Here’s how I see this scene playing out. 

Jesus is invited into the home of Simon the Pharisee. Not to test him, not to catch him in some religious hypocrisy. Perhaps as we mentioned in the story of the Blind Man, those Pharisees were considering following him. Would the sinful woman have been invited? Not a chance!

Only Luke tells us that Jesus on occasion dined by invitation with Pharisees (Mt.11:37; 14:1). With such reports Luke indicates Jesus’ social standing as a well-known teacher. Pharisaic approval of Jesus is not implied. In fact, on each occasion Jesus’ behaviour scandalizes his host.

But Jesus is reclining at the table which means his head would have been table side and his feet extending towards the window or door. The woman, whom I believe was previously forgiven was able therefore to come alongside Jesus, and in gratitude fall at his feet. Then she anointed him with that alabaster (that’s the Greek word) jar of oil and her tears. She was so filled with thanks! But she hadn’t pre-planned to dry anything and solved that problem with her long hair.

Stories in the Gospels are not isolated but are part of the bigger story. Look back at the red-letter words of Luke 7 and see what Yeshua is teaching the crowds about John the Baptist. He ends with 

³⁵ Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

So, then Luke puts this section next to the story of Simon the Pharisee and this woman who is the vindicator litmus test. She’s the child of wisdom in the story. He even amplifies this with the story within the story as Jesus asks Simon beginning in verse 40 about the two debtors. 

Verse 42: which of them will love him more?

Simon rightly says the one forgiven more will love the moneylender more. Then Jesus uses the situation to rebuke Simon for a lack of social graces and the same occasion to publicly forgive the woman her sins (v. 48) and to tell her (I believe to remind her) that her faith has saved her, and she should go in peace. (v. 50). Her faith had brought her to the scene. Her faith had propelled her to find the one about whom she had heard. She had not met Jesus before. He only at this point saw her faith and her anointing of his feet, her drying the anointing with her hair, her attention to his presence…all of that made her one of his. She entered the Kingdom, not by her good works, but by her breaking every social convention, crossing every barricade the Jewish world had established, and made her way into the presence of the only One who could save her. It was her faith that saved her. It was the Messiah who saved her. 

Luke follows this beautiful story with a narrative about the disciples. 

Luke 8:1   Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, ² and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

The 12 of course are highlighted but then notice who else is included. “Some former sick women and those who had been delivered of their evil spirits, like Mary Magdalene, and then other women listed Joanna, Chuza’s wife (a prominent Roman politician, Susanna, and other women who were involved in the substantial role of financing the ministry of the Lord, OUT OF THEIR private means.” This is a huge footnote to the story. 

Women who would travel in the company of men, no hotels, no separate rooms, usually when women travelled they would take their lamps which would fit in their hands, be visible in face, not using the lamp to find the path, they would walk in social circles with care, lest any danger come their way. But here these women are, walking with the men, using their private bank accounts to ensure that the Lord and his 12 were cared for, and breaking social convention again. 

Luke, who joined the apostolic community in Acts chapter 16, sees women in the community as normative and laces his Gospel account with them with frequency. The story without women is empty; the story with women is scandalous. Especially with what they called ‘sinner’ women, which is little more than a nickname for a prostitute. 

Luke adds a note in his Gospel to give the Lord an opportunity to share the 2 debtor story. Simon says, “If this guy were really a prophet, he would know what sort of person this is.” The irony is Jesus fully knew what sort of person this was, and he allowed the anointing, the drying, no doubt, the weeping, and the presence. Jesus never worried about being touched by or at times even touching folks who were untouchables. The lepers come to mind. Forbidden to be touched, removed by themselves or by others from society, the lepers were not to be engaged. Jesus, time and time again, broke social convention. And some were cleansed and some were grateful. 

What I’m saying should be clear—Jesus establishes his own social convention. He was called a glutton in this chapter. Certainly, compared to John the Baptist. He allowed a sinner to touch him. Another time a woman with an issue of blood touched him.

In the Bible, the "issue of blood" refers to a woman suffering from a chronic, 12-year haemorrhage (Mark 5:24–34). This condition rendered her ceremonially unclean under Jewish law (Leviticus 15.25-30), causing severe social, religious, and economic isolation—she was banished from the temple, likely forbidden from touching others, and lost all her money on failed medical treatments

Jesus broke social convention to establish a new society, the Kingdom of God, and nothing would stop his making it happen. We today, in 2026, are part of the new society because he made it so. 

One final comment here on this story. When Simon did not offer the greeting of the kiss, did not offer water for Jesus’ feet, nor any oil for his washing or self-anointing, Jesus would have been well within his rights to walk out, saying under his breath, “Well, I’m certainly not welcome here.” But rather than use the lack of courtesy as a chance to exit, Jesus chose to enter, to recline, and to use the situation to teach Simon and anyone else who is listening, what sort of person HE is. 

If Simon the Pharisee muttered under his breath that if Jesus were really a prophet, he would have known, then think about this, we can say, SINCE Jesus is a prophet, he DID know what sort of person both the unnamed woman was AND what sort of person SIMON was. And Jesus wanted and still wants to emphasize the condition of everyone’s heart, SO THAT each of us can draw near and cry out for forgiveness and His love, amen?

 

The widow and the judge (Luke 18.1-8)

In Luke 18, Yeshua tells a striking parable about a widow and an unjust judge. The story is simple, but deeply powerful. A vulnerable woman repeatedly comes before a judge demanding justice against her adversary. The judge neither fears God nor respects people. He is indifferent, cynical, and morally corrupt. Yet the widow refuses to disappear. She keeps returning, again, until finally the judge grants her request—not because he has become righteous, but because her persistence has worn him down.

Luke deliberately highlights the woman because, in the ancient world, widows represented weakness, vulnerability, and lack of social power. She has no husband to defend her, no status to leverage, and apparently no money to bribe the judge. Yet she becomes the strongest character in the story. Her courage is not loud or dramatic; it is steady, determined faithfulness. She believes justice exists, even when the system around her appears broken.

Luke’s Gospel repeatedly elevates women, outsiders, and the overlooked. This widow stands alongside other women in Luke who model faith, insight, and spiritual perseverance. The emphasis is not merely on “praying more,” but on refusing to lose heart. Luke introduces the parable by saying Yeshua told it so His disciples would “always pray and not give up.”

The woman becomes a picture of persistent faith. If even an unjust judge eventually responds, how much more will a righteous God hear the cries of His people? Her persistence reveals trust that God sees, hears, and will ultimately bring justice.

What is it that thwarts our returning to the Lord? What stops us from knock and keep on knocking? (Matt. 7.7) Is it lack of response? Is it despair? Jesus is using this story to remind us, that is to put back into our mind, that He is there. If that woman can get the ignoble judge to act, how much more can Jesus respond to us, if we keep knocking. Never give up. He is there. 

This ‘how much more’ phrase is a biblical line the rabbis came up with. It’s in Hebrew Kal v’chomer. 

Kal v'chomer (Hebrew: קל וחומר) is a logical principle used in Jewish law and biblical interpretation, literally meaning "light and heavy". It is the Hebrew equivalent of the Latin a fortiori argument: if something is true in a minor or "light" case, then it must be even more true in a major or "heavy" case.

The argument typically follows the pattern of "how much more so"

Either Minor to Major: If a certain rule applies to a simple situation (kal), it should certainly apply to a more serious one (chomer). Or Major to Minor: Conversely, if a stricture is true in a major case, it must also be true in a minor case. 

Examples in the Older Testament

There are classic examples of this reasoning mentioned in the Torah: 1) Moses and Pharaoh: "If the Israelites did not listen to me, how much more will Pharaoh?" (Exodus 6:12). 2) Joseph’s Brothers: "We brought back the silver we found in our sacks... how then would we steal gold or silver from your master's house?" (Genesis 44:8). 3) Miriam's Punishment: If a father's rebuke would cause shame for seven days, surely God's rebuke should cause at least as much (Numbers 12:14).

Newer Testament

Jesus frequently used kal v'chomer as a rabbinic teaching tool to emphasize God's character. 1) Provision: If God clothes the grass of the field (which is temporary), how much more will He clothe you? (Matthew 6:30). 2) Prayer: If a human father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? (Luke 11:13).

Paul also used it. Paul uses this logic extensively in his letters, particularly in Romans 5, to argue that if Christ died for sinners, how much more will those who are justified be saved through Him. (v.10)

The 10 Virgins (Matthew 25.1-13)

In Matthew 25, Yeshua tells the parable of the ten virgins, a story centred on readiness for a coming wedding celebration. Ten young women wait with lamps for the arrival of the bridegroom. Five are wise and bring extra oil; five are foolish and fail to prepare. When the bridegroom is delayed, all ten become sleepy. But at midnight the cry suddenly comes: “Here is the bridegroom!” The prepared women trim their lamps and enter the wedding feast, while the others rush away trying to find oil. By the time they return, the door is shut.

The story reflects ancient Jewish wedding customs. A bridegroom would often arrive unexpectedly, sometimes late at night, to bring the bride and wedding party into the feast. Preparation mattered because no one knew the exact hour of arrival. Yeshua uses this familiar image to teach spiritual vigilance and faithful expectation.

The oil in the lamps symbolizes more than outward religion. All ten virgins looked similar for a time, but only five had inward preparedness. The wise women anticipated delay and planned for endurance. Their readiness was personal and could not be borrowed at the final moment.

The parable is not merely about fear of missing out; it is about living in continual expectation of the Messiah. Yeshua warns His listeners that spiritual preparation cannot be postponed indefinitely. There comes a moment when opportunities close and the door is shut.

The wedding feast itself points toward joy, covenant, and the future kingdom of God. Those prepared enter celebration with the bridegroom.

Friends, we have looked at 4 stories and have dived into sometimes unchartered waters, so that we could learn what Yeshua thought about women. It’s not a new thing; the Older Testament certainly highlighted women throughout as well. 

Jesus is not a new god—He is the evidence, the exact representation of everything we know about the God of the Older Testament. Some people got it wrong, and Jesus came along to remind us, to make right what others had wronged, and others who had been wronged. 

If you have not yet read Bailey’s chapters on women, do yourself a favour and check out the book from the library and get deep into it. You will be blessed.

Next week, we turn to the Parables, the final section of the book, and we will learn so much about what Yeshua was teaching, and we will be able to put into practice so much more. To that I commit myself and ask you to join me then. 

 

Five Summary Thoughts from tonight:

1)              No one is excluded by race or gender from being a citizen of the Kingdom of God. 

2)              Gratitude is the key to success in the Kingdom.  Make a short list daily and watch it grow through the years.

3)              Faith is the victory. It always has been and always will be. Faith is not a ‘good work.’ It’s a pressing in until we find the One who alone can save us and establish our goings. 

4)              Never allow others to define your stance in the Kingdom towards outsiders or insiders. Jesus alone is the King of the Kingdom and sets the rules and the roles for each of us.

5)              Live in anticipation—Jesus is returning. Soon. For you. And for those whom you love. Bring them along by prayer and speaking. Be ready by hope. Hope is faith in the future. 

 

 ————————————————————————————

 

Scripture scholar Marg Mowczko has done stellar work raising awareness as to the identities —including names — and stories of women in scripture.

Some links from her work to explore are here: 

- about Jesus and Women: https://margmowczko.com/jesus-and-women/

- the ministry of Women in New Testament Churches: https://margmowczko.com/tag/coworkers-book-chapter/

- Men and Women in Ministry in First Century Churches Part 1: https://margmowczko.com/women-ministry-first-century.../

- Men and Women in Ministry in First Century Churches Part 2: https://margmowczko.com/women-ministry-first-century-2/

- Men and Women in Ministry in First Century Churches Part 3: https://margmowczko.com/women-ministry-first-century-3/

- Every Woman in the Gospels: https://margmowczko.com/every-woman-gospels/

- Every Woman in the Book of Acts: https://margmowczko.com/every-nt-woman-acts/

- Every Woman in Paul's Letters to the Romans and to the Corinthians: https://margmowczko.com/every-nt-woman-romans-corinthians/

- The Ephesian Widows in 1 Timothy 5: https://margmowczko.com/widows-1-timothy-5-part-1/

- Every Woman in Galatians to Revelation: https://margmowczko.com/every-nt-woman-galatians-to.../

Marg notes: 'Some New Testament women were involved in significant ministries. Every list of ministry gifts in the New Testament does not exclude women in any way (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27-28; Eph. 4:11-12; Heb. 2:4; 1 Pet. 4:9-11; cf. Acts 2:17-18)

 

 

Lesson 7 of 12. "Deeper Truths" On the blind man and the Pharisees, even a missing word!

 Jesus Heals the Blind Man (Lesson 7 of 12)

Deeper Truths

Given on Zoom

April 2026

 

 

Tonight we continue our series of studies inspired by the culture study by Kenneth Bailey entitled Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes. Tonight we finish the fourth section, on the Dramatic Actions of Jesus. Thank you for letting me come to your world, on zoom and to speak to you this evening not only about Jesus healing a blind man, but also what happens with Jewish people not only in those days but in our day as well. You know that some Jewish people even this week came to faith in Jesus and this chapter, this scene, will help us help them with what's going to happen to them. (If you are reading this before May 30, 2026, you may join us live on Zoom Singapore 8 pm, Thursday. Just write me on email or phone me or WhatsApp, and let’s get you in the live teaching and Question time)

So, as we look deeply into one of the most significant Dramatic Actions of Jesus, from John chapter 9, we are going to be amazed how fitting this study is for anyone interested in Jewish life and story in our day. Let’s dig in, verse-by-verse.

John 9, Verse one: “As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth.” We so often skip the narrative sections in the Bible. I’m guilty of it for sure. I do that in ordinary books, like novels. We want to get to the action point, the conversations, but look at this. You see, the blind man did not see Jesus. but Jesus saw the blind man. If God sees, he'll see to it, and if he sees to it, the blind man's going to be taken care of. That’s great.

Verse 2: But right away the disciples asked Jesus a weird question. “Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents?” Who thinks in those terms? Do you think in those terms? You see a blind guy, and you think--I wonder who sinned? Do you think that way honestly? No, of course not. But rabbinic teaching in those days said that if you were blind or had any other cause of disqualification for going into the holy temple, then there must have been a sin involved.

Deuteronomy 28.28 spells that out clearly. The curse is there due to failure by Israel, which is otherwise titled ‘sin.’ So, it’s fair to conclude that somebody had to sin or else the blind guy would not be blind. Jesus surprised the disciples by saying in verse 3, “neither!” Wait a minute! This is not really something you’d hear at Bible college. Neither person sinned? Obviously, they both sinned. All people sin. (Ecclesiastes 7.20, Romans 3.23) Thus, both the parents and the son have sinned. What he’s saying is basically, “you’re missing it. The cause is not so clear. This blindness is not caused by sins… but that the works of God would be displayed. We are going to work the works of God while it’s still light. I am the light of the world.”

To demonstrate his bringing light to the world, he spits on the ground. Now you know this could not take place in Singapore! OK, he spits on the ground and he makes mud. Now that is weird. Sometimes to heal someone Jesus said,” stretch out your hand” (Luke 6.10) or to the lame man “Pick up your bed” (Matthew 9.6) or to another he said, “your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2.5) But spit on the ground and make mud?

We’ll get back to that in a bit. Why did he spit and make clay and stick it on the guy’s face.  I mean who else but a blind man is going to let you put mud in his face?  In verse 7 Jesus tells the blind man to “go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” Some of you have been to Israel and you know Jerusalem. It’s on the top of a hill, and the ancients built footpaths and sidewalks, but bannisters and safety and health regulations—those didn’t exist.

Yeshua sends the blind man with mud in his face down to the bottom of Jerusalem to the pool of Siloam. I’ve walked through that. It is cold flowing water from Mount Hermon. Have you ever seen blind people walk, especially in unfamiliar locations? They don’t walk like you and I do. They are tentative, and they’re holding on and they’re not sure. Caution is wise.

There were no perfectly rectangular steps. If you’ve been in any ancient place, you know that water has eroded the steps so here, he is he’s walking down and he gets to the pool and he splashes and washes and he comes back seeing. Fantastic! 

How do sighted people walk? Standing up they’re different in their walk than blind people. No wonder when he came back seeing, verse 8 his neighbors and those who previously saw him as a beggar wondered if it’s that the guy that used to lie there. Is that he? They wondered because he didn’t look the same.

I’m guessing most people didn’t really notice him or know him anyway. Some others said yeah, it’s he. Others said, “no I don’t know” He looks like—they weren’t sure—because he walked differently, he was different. They kept asking who are you? He said in verse 9, Yes that’s me. I’m the guy. they said Wait a minute-- how’d this happen? And that’s a reasonable question. How did this happen?

Verse 10. They ask for his testimony. Now, he’d never been to a testimony class. He told his story in bullet points. 1) The man who’s called Jesus made clay, 2) he put it in my face and anointed my eyes then 3) he said go and wash, so 4) I washed and 5) I came back seeing. Simple, right?

Verse 12: They said, “Where is he? The man answered, “I don’t know.” Jesus could have been standing right there, but he’d never seen him before, so he didn’t know who he was or what color robe he was wearing. ‘I don’t know’ could have been the end of the story. It was a great story. Jesus heals blind guy-- pictures at 11. I mean that would have been an awesome newscast, but the story goes on.

Verse 13 “They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.” Now you might read that as they were dobbing him in. But that’s not how I read this. They simply had a religious question like you might have. Perhaps you have experienced something like this. Wait a minute-- somebody was dying of covid and now he’s walking around and he’s healthy. Or somebody ran into a train in Bras Basah station and now they’re up and walking. How does that happen? You might have that same question, so what do you do? 

You take them to the religious leadership. That’s why we pay pastors. They are supposed to know this stuff. So, they brought him to the Pharisees. Verse 14 is not a throwaway. There’s narrative again. “It was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay.”  Why does that matter? Because you’re not allowed to heal on the Sabbath. Now if Jesus walked by this guy on Saturday and healed him, wouldn’t you imagine Jesus could have walked by the guy on Friday and healed him or Tuesday? Of course. 

Why didn’t he use another day? I believe he chose Sabbath because he’s a stirrer. There’s a Yiddish phrase, af tselochas, just to stir, just to spite. He’s doing this to help them all see that they were not in charge of the Sabbath-- that he was. I’m glad John put the day of the week in there. Because if it was a Tuesday nobody would have cared that he healed anybody, but it’s Saturday he heals—trouble!

Verse 15 the “Pharisees were asking him again how he had received his sight?”  The blind man shortened it for them because religious people need it shorter than regular people! His bullet points 1) he applied to clay to my eyes 2) I washed and 3) I see. Just three bullet points. Some of the Pharisees were saying well, “this man is not from God.” They chose not to say his name. His name was significant from the very beginning. The angel named him “Yeshua” for he would save his people from their sins. Yeshua is the Hebrew word from yasha meaning “to save!”

Gabriel called his name Saviour because he’s going to save. Now he didn’t tell Mary and Joseph to call his name melamed because he’s going to be a teacher. Don’t call his name navi because he’s going to be a prophet though he taught and prophesied. The angel said to call his name Yeshua because he’s going to save. That’s his gig; that’s why he came. They said in verse 16 this “man is not from God.” When I got saved in 1971, I went home and I told my mom and dad that Jesus was the Messiah. They threw me out of the house.

I remember 20 years later trying to witness to my grandmother again in the Jewish old folks’ home. She had her wits about her; her body was decaying. And she lived five more years, but I remember previously talking about Jesus to her and she said, “Don’t talk to me about that man.” She couldn’t say the name Jesus; it had brought too much trouble in our family. 

But that one day in October of 1991, Grandma Bessie invited me to share with her about God and Jesus and that day she prayed to receive the Lord. In fact, I offered to lead her in a prayer. She agreed. I went right for it. 

“Dear Jesus, thank you for your love…” She repeated it and the rest is eternal history. 

The Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Now this raises a huge question tonight. Let me ask you-- friends, did Jesus keep the Sabbath or no, he did not?

This has serious implications. Don’t be quick to answer. If he did not keep the Sabbath, he’s a law breaker, and if he’s a law breaker, he cannot be your Saviour. Did he keep the Sabbath? Your theological answer is yes. So how did he do what he did and not break the Sabbath? Again, Yeshua is teaching that they were getting it all wrong. He was teaching them that healing is not against the Sabbath at all. There’s not a single Bible verse that says you may not heal on the Sabbath, but by custom they taught that this was out-of-bounds. Yeshua was saying, “No, this is not out of bounds at all.”

For instance, the rabbis prohibited certain remedies on the Sabbath. (Mishnah Shabbat 14:4) Why? The concern was that a person like a doctor treating illness might lead someone to grind herbs, which is classified as work. (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 53b)

So, the rule developed: If a matter is life-threatening, then heal immediately. If there is a minor condition, then healing should wait until after Sabbath.

The Bible never forbids healing on the Sabbath. The debate was never about God’s law—but about how far mercy was allowed to go.

Verse 16 continues “others were saying how can a man who’s a sinner perform such signs” and as such, “a division arose among them.” Dear friends there is still a division among the Jewish people about Jesus. That’s true whether here in Nashville or back in Sydney, across Australia or Asia, in Israel and Johannesburg, there is still a division because of Jesus. You walk over to a Jewish friend’s place or to a Jewish dentist and explain to them that Jesus is the savior. Maybe someone there will like it or someone there won’t like it; there’s a division.

Verse 17: “They said to the blind man, what do you say about him since he opened your eyes?” Now in our version we read his answer as a declarative with a full stop, but I wonder if he didn’t answer with a question mark. I imagine him thinking this. “Hmm, who is he? I don’t know; let’s see-- you guys walked by me for decades and you left me lying there. He came along and healed me. What’s the category? Let’s see, you’re a scribe or elder, so he’s above that. What would that be called?  Is he a prophet?”

He’d never been to Moore College or Dallas Seminary. He didn’t know what the theological truth was. All he knew was that he once was blind and now he can see. 

Do you know that there’s a word missing in each of these scenes? There’s a word missing in this whole text? It’s the word Hallelujah. Listen, if God does stuff, we ought to shout it. So, the neighbors ought to have shouted.

Think about it. Our blind guy neighbor is healed. Hallelujah! they should have shouted.  The Pharisees to whom they brought him should have shouted, “Wow, God has done stuff –hallelujah! Amen!”

Verse 18 “The Jews did not believe it of him that he’d been blind and had received sight until they subpoenaed his parents.” And they question them asking, “Is this your son? who you say was born blind? That can’t be—How does he now see?” They asked him three questions and his parents said, “Yes, we know he’s our boy. Yes, we know he was born blind” But number three-- we don’t know how it happened. He’s old enough; ask him.”

What should his parents have said? Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
For me personally, I’ve got three adult kids, and I’ve got six grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. I’d give my right kidney; I’d give my life for my kids to have a better life. I would give anything for them to have a better life and you who are parents-- wouldn’t you do the same as well? Of course!

These are parents of a blind man. Come on, shout hallelujah! Instead, they say, “he’s old enough. Ask him; he’ll speak for himself.” Verse 22: “This his parents said because they were afraid of the Jewish leadership because they’d already agreed that if anyone confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, he’d be put out of synagogue.”

That’s why his parents said that. Listen, the day I got saved, I got put out; I got removed from synagogue. I understand the cost. But I did not pay a cost as high as others. For instance, if one of you does something way out of bounds in church and then it was brought to the elders, and the elders said, “We better get this guy out of church,” what would happen? If you wanted to keep going to a church and living wrong, you’d simply go down the street to another church and it’s likely they would never investigate. They would likely welcome you and invite you to the home group. 

But it’s not so easy in the Jewish world. Let’s say you get kicked out of synagogue. Let me give you a very real example. I’ll call this man Sammy. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.  There are 500,000 Jews in Brooklyn. He works every day in the garment district over in Manhattan; he’s a tailor. As an ultra-Orthodox Jew, he rides a bus, not a city bus because then he might touch a gentile, no he rides a special private bus that picks up ultra-orthodox jews from there in his neighborhood and takes them to the garment district on the west side of Manhattan. 

He works all day; at midday he takes some time out to bring his lunch to a study center where a group of orthodox Jewish men (no women) would gather and study the Talmud (the Jewish interpretation book of the Bible.) At the end of his long shift, he would get back on the bus and ride back to his home where he would eat, perhaps with his 10 children.

Through a series of miracles, Sammy and one of our missionaries met and studied the Bible, and Sammy gave his life to Jesus. He was living in utter fear that if they found out that he believed in Yeshua, he would be put out of synagogue. What would that mean to Sammy?  It means that he would not be able to ride the bus to go to work. It means he would have no more work; it means he would have no more socialization. It means that he would have to figure out a new job. He was 47 years old and that’s all he’d ever done in life. What’s he going to do next week? And it means that his 10 children including his daughters would not be able to be married. Why, you might wonder? It’s because in that subgroup of Jewish people, the normal is for marriages to be arranged. If he’s tainted with his Christianity then his daughter must be tainted as well, so she would now lose. He’s affecting really infecting his whole family. that’s what it means to be put out of synagogue. It’s all his lives: social, economic, political, every which way you’re put out. I’ll tell you at last report, that Sammy is still doing well in the Lord and overcoming that fear day by day.

Verse 24: a “second time they called the man who’d been blind and they said give glory to God we know this man (again unnamed) is a sinner.” Friends, they’d already decided that so why did they even have a pseudo-investigation? The Pharisees had already made up their mind so any inquiry that they made was useless. All they were looking for was their pre-conceived answer.

That bolstered their negative view already. “Give glory to God” -- not to this man. That’s what they’re saying. We know this man’s a sinner. He answered, “I don’t know very much at all because you guys don’t teach me because blind guys and women and eunuchs were not allowed to go to learning centers. I don’t know very much” he said this, but I do know this, the words of Amazing Grace are real to me. “I once was blind but now I see.” They said, “Come on, what did he do to you? What was the trick? What was the magic that he threw on you sprinkled dust or some incantation from India? How did he open your eyes?” He said, “I told you already. Why do you want to hear it again? You want to become his disciples too?” This is such a Jewish lawyer thinking. I love this. What do you want to know because they don’t want to know-- they’re looking for a reason to disbelieve. 

He didn’t give it to them, and then they said, “you’re his disciple; we are disciples of Moses.” You’re learning from the wrong professor; you’re in the wrong seminary. “We know that God has spoken to Moses but as for this man (third time) we don’t even know where he is from.” What does that mean? They knew where he was from geographically, but they didn’t know his yichus, that is, his family background. The argument to this day is who is the father of Jesus? We don’t know his genealogy-- that’s what they’re saying. The story by the rabbis then. and to this day, is that a Roman soldier raped Mary, and the subsequent birth of Jesus took place. 

“We don’t even know where he’s from” the man answered, “well that’s amazing. you don’t know where he’s from but he’s the one who fixed me.” In other words, you people don’t have all the answers. ‘Have a nice day’ is what I’m hearing him say. We know that God doesn’t hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he hears him and then…” so he’s teaching them. He’s teaching the boys and so no wonder they interrupt and say in verse 34 “you were born entirely in sin —steeped in sin.” Now who says that kind of thing? Only rabbis who are convinced that if you are blind, there is a cause and that’s somebody’s sin. You were steeped in sin, I know that because you’re blind. “How dare you lecture us and they threw him out.” Verse 34. Dear friends, they’d already thrown him out, hadn’t they? They’d already called him out and said you’re steeped in sin; you can’t come to our seminary; you can’t come to our Bible class; you are not us (even though he was entirely us) and that could be the end of the story.

But the stories continue. Verse 35 “Yeshua heard that they’d put him out and finding him he said.” Don’t skip that; don’t skip narrative! What did that say “Yeshua heard that they threw him out.” Yeshua didn’t just heal the guy and go take a taxi and go to another town. Yeshua was right there sticking around for the story-- the unfolding of the story. He heard that they’d put him out and finding him. How do you find something? You search for it. Yeshua was looking for him. We don’t know if it was that day or another day, but we know he searches, he seeks. What does the Bible say “the son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19.10) and Jesus said to the man, “Do you believe in the son of man” that is, in the messiah. Verse 36, he said, “Who is he that I might believe?”

You might have a different take on this than I do, but this is when I get upset at Jesus. This is when I want Jesus to say, “Here’s my business card. I’m the son of man; I’m the savior of the world; here’s my card you can now read that.” I’d like him to do that but no he does this weird thing. Verse 37, “you have both seen him and he is the one talking with you.” What? Just say “Yes, that’s me.” I would love that. Why he did the same thing with his cousin. Remember John the Baptist was in jail, and he sends Jesus a note and says, “are you the one to come or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11.1-6) That’s when Jesus should say something like “yes, John, I am,” that’s all he had to say. John would have gotten it. But no, he writes back to John and says tell him that “the blind see and the lame walk and the deaf hear.” John is asking a straight question, and I want Jesus to give a straight answer—that’s not that hard. Look what Jesus is doing, in his answer, he’s calling several witnesses to testify the lame are walking, the blind are seeing. He’s answering from Jewish hopefulness, in fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 35. That chapter says when the messiah comes these are the kinds of things that are going to happen.  Jesus is not saying “Johnny, trust me like a used car salesman.” He’s not saying, “John pull up the bootstraps come on man you were there at the beginning keep going let’s keep going in a religious commitment.” He’s saying, “let the witnesses speak.”.

 

Now back to our story in John 9. Here he tells the formerly blind guy you’ve both seen him and you have heard him. That’s it! Do you remember my voice? This is the one speaking with you. I’m the one who said to you, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” Two testifiers right there. 1) that you are seeing and 2) I’m the one speaking and then he falls on his knees we figure, and he said, “Lord, I believe.” Wow that’s so great that could be the end of the story, but it’s not.

The final touch puts it all in perspective and demonstrates another biblical device. It’s also used in novels and poetry. It’s an inclusio. An inclusio is when a passage starts and ends with matching language or themes to highlight the main point. Think of it like parenthesis or brackets. Verse 39, Yeshua said, “For judgment I came into this world so those who don’t see may see and those who do see may become blind.” That’s confusing, isn’t it?

The next verses help us.

Verse 40 “the Pharisees who were with him” Does that surprise you? Pharisees who were with Yeshua. These are not the enemies; these are not the people to whom the blind man was brought. These are some ordinary guys.

These are the Pharisees who want to know. The Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him is this blind thing about us? Are you including us in this? Yeshua answered them and said in verse 41, “if you were blind, you’d have no sin but since you say we see your sin remains.”

 I believe there are two kinds of people in the world. 1) sinners who admit that they’re sinners and 2) sinners who don’t admit that they’re sinners. Got it? Sinners who admit it and also sinners who don’t admit it.

Aren’t you glad you get to be a sinner who admits that you’re a sinner this morning? That’s what we do in church every time we sing about the blessed savior and his blood washing over us to cleanse us from our sin. We’re not saying, “I got this; I’m good; we’re good. I’m trying to walk. I’m righteous. I’m doing all right.”

No, rather we’re sinners who admit we are sinners. When you do that you can be healed and see and if you don’t admit that, then your blindness remains.

That’s what Yeshua is teaching. It’s a long story. It’s a great story. It happened at the end of chapters seven and eight. I know this sounds obvious, but John is not usually mixing his story. He’s not usually so concerned about a linear presentation of the life and death of the actions of Yeshua. He’s like a scrapbook collector. He’s not interested in keeping everything in chronological order. He’s an old guy when he’s writing this, and he’s remembering things in groupings.

Structurally, why do I tell you that? Because in chapter 7 it’s the feast of Tabernacles that happens about every October in our calendar. In the feast of Tabernacles there are two major events that took place in the Jewish world in those days. They are 1) a great lighting ceremony that takes place atop Jerusalem right there at the temple where giant torches were lit, and they were able to be seen not only in the temple area but for miles all around. Remember that it’s on top of a hill; there are no city lights in those days.

Yeshua stood in front of those lights and said, “I’m the light of the world.” He even said that at the beginning of our passage today.

The other ceremony is recorded in John 7.37. It was on the last day of the feast when there was a big parade. Think Mardi Gras only with clothes on. Massive celebrations took place. Crowds. Priests. And the center point was the pool of Siloam at the bottom of Jerusalem. The priests would take 2) a large pitcher of water from there and go up to the top of the mount where the temple was. The high priest would pour out that water and the people would celebrate.

There are all kinds of reasons for that, but I want you to see that with that as a backdrop Yeshua said, “if anyone’s thirsty, let him come to me and drink and out of his belly will flow rivers of living water but this, he spoke of the spirit.” With those two tabernacle images in John 7 and John 8 John is chronicling those links in a beautiful way because those who were in darkness can see the light of life because of the torch above Jerusalem.

But he who came down on to Jerusalem from above and who brought the light of the world (himself) to the world, and he brought it through the pool of Siloam not so that people could have beverages, but that so that he who was blind could see. He changed darkness and brought a man to light.

Do you remember we left a question hanging before? Why did he make mud and stick it in the guy’s face? He knelt and spat, made mud and puts it right in the blind guy’s face. You see, the last time somebody from above came down, took dust of the earth and fashioned something out of the clay, that was God himself who made Adam and then made Eve and then put them in the Garden of Eden. What is Yeshua saying about himself? He could have healed him by saying “you’re healed” but he got down, right next to him, made mud, put it in his face and basically said, “I am creator; you can trust me; I’ve got this one.”

And the blind man trusted him and the inclusio was completed. Why was the man born blind? That the works of God would be demonstrated. And they were. On Sukkot!

Jesus wanted to show himself as God incarnate the light of the world and the water of life.

I regularly get to ask people who are not yet believing, if they could change anything or make a name for themselves. I find out they are blind, and then if they’re blind or needy or have sin, and if they say, “no, we’re good; we see”, then I get to tell them, like Jesus said, “if you were blind you would have no sin.” Do you see how he wraps it back into the sin question from the very beginning? Who sinned this man or his parents? If you admitted you were blind you’d have no sin, but since you say we see then you’re responsible and your sin remains.

Dramatic Actions Template:

1)    Reveals who He is (Messiah, God, Light of the World).

2)    Confronts hypocrisy and empty religion e.g. parents, some of the Pharisees.

3)    Visually communicates spiritual truth by opening eyes.

4)    Often echoes Old Testament prophetic symbolism as we saw in Isaiah 35 and 61.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS from our 7th lesson tonight:

1)    Don’t skip the narratives or the genealogies or the little markers in the Bible. They could be full of back story not to miss.

2)    When God sees, He will see to the situation. Our job as believers is to get him to see. That’s what prayer is all about.

3)    The word ‘hallelujah” is missing in this series of stories related to the Blind Man. Let us not miss our chance to shout his praise and proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

4)    Yeshua’s dramatic action showed the world that he is The Light of the World, the Messiah, even God, the Creator, and we get to know him and be with him forever. He demonstrated it with the blind man. He will be dramatic in action with us!

5)    Don’t finish a story before the story is finished. Derek Prince used to say, “When you are looking for a miracle, keep plugged in until it is accomplished.” The blind man’s condition and healing is a testimony to all future seekers “who are with him” to admit our own sin and find sight. I once was blind; now I see.